Skip to main content

COMMON DENTAL PROBLEMS IN KIDS (PART 1)

By The Dentist


         “Problems are everywhere, so are solutions”.
Not sure about that! But what we know is that the solution for your kids’ dental problem is here. The journey from milk teeth to permanent teeth can be tiring for both the child and also the parents. We have come up with some common difficulties you generally encounter and suggestions to ease this process for you.

TEETHING:

  Image result for teething child images
          It means the eruption of milk teeth in infants. Most babies get their first tooth around 6 months (but it may vary). It is an important milestone in your kid’s life. But it can also produce discomfort.
  
          It isn’t hard to tell when your baby is teething.

Common symptoms are,
  •  Reddish and swollen gums
  •  Increased saliva / drooling
  •  Irritability
  •  Low appetite due to gum soreness
  • Restless nights
  • Trying to bite or suck everything
  • Tendency to rub ear on the side of erupting tooth
  • If the baby has fever, diarrhea, rashes then it is a sign for dental check up

How to ease your baby…




Image result for frozen fruit as teething ring



  • Unsweetened teething rings, frozen fruits and vegetables (peeled cucumbers, banana, strawberry, melon) can produce temporary relief. Frozen objects can also help to reduce redness and swelling.

    • Let them gnaw at your finger or bite down a moist cloth.
    • Babies love to gnaw - make sure you know what is in their mouth and try to avoid sweetened items.

    DENTAL DECAY:

         
           Dental decay remains as one of the most widespread disease and the most common childhood problem.
         
           Decay is caused by bacteria that sits on your teeth and thrive upon the food you eat (milk in case of your child) Bacteria breaks down sugar to form acids that cause teeth damage.
        
         Image result for bottle tooth decay pictures      When your child’s teeth come in frequent contact with sugars i.e. breast milk, cow’s milk, formula, sugar water it results in BABY BOTTLE TOOTH DECAY.
              This can become painful if not treated at right time, making it difficult to chew and eat for your child. This may result in malnutrition.

    What you can do!

    •   Start brushing your child’s teeth and tongue as soon as the first tooth appears.
    •  Don’t leave the bottle in your child’s mouth for long time. 
    • Give plain water and wipe your child’s teeth and gums after feeding.
    •  Don’t dip pacifiers in sugar or honey.

    BAD BREATH: Beware

       
           AKA halitosis, can affect anyone regardless of age. It is mainly caused by bacterial build up which feed on left-over food, liquid and plaque.
      
          Halitosis isn’t always due to poor oral hygiene. Identifying the cause helps in taking care of it.
      
    Here are few reasons ,
    • Sinus infection
    • Foreign objects stuck in nasal passages (you know, kids!)
    • Swollen tonsils
    • Dry mouth- with all the running around, they tend to forget to drink enough water
    • Tooth decay
    • Swollen gums

    How to avoid it?

    • Proper teeth and also tongue cleaning
    • Proper hydration
    • If halitosis persists for a long time it is wise to consult a dentist

    SWOLLEN GUMS (Gingivitis): Take caution
    YES, kids are not shielded from gingivitis! Taking care of your kids’ gums is as important as their teeth and tongue. You may notice red and swollen gums if gum cleaning is ignored. Sometimes your kid may spit out a little blood while rinsing (Red flag)
           This is primarily due to poor oral hygiene. Plaque is an invisible sticky layer of germs found in mouth.This irritates the gums thus giving rise to gingivitis.

    Keeping plaque at bay….


          Plaque build-up can be reduced by brushing TWICE a day and rinsing mouth after every snack and meal. 
         Chewing raw foods like carrot have benefits on oral cleanliness.

         Childhood is a time filled with adventure, exploration and growth. As parents it is up to you to set healthy oral care standards for your kids.

                      Image result for child smile     
    Follow us on 
                          
          

    Comments

    Post a Comment

    Popular posts from this blog

    WHAT IS THE HASSLE ABOUT ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE?

    By The Dentist
      Being in the middle of a pandemic, we think this would be the best time to discuss antibiotic over usage. To dodge another possible pandemic, it is high time we use the antibiotics in our hands wisely. New resistant strains of bacteria are growing so fast that we are running out of antibiotics to treat them. WHO has released a list of bacteria for which new antibiotics are needed. HOW DO ANTIBIOTICS WORK? To make something clear, not all antibiotics kill all bacteria. Certain antibiotics are effective against certain bacteria.    To simplify, these antibiotics specifically target the components or a particular process of microbes which is not found in the host (humans).      Generally by studying the symptoms or nature of the infection, the likely causative organism is decided and apt antibiotics are given. In unfamiliar scenarios, pus culture is done to find out the causative organism. ANTIBIOTICS IN DENTISTRY:     Use of antibiotic...
    Post a Comment
    Read more

    What you should know about teeth-spacing?

    By The Dentist
          Don't we all dream of a perfect set of teeth without spacing or crowding? Well spacing is common in children and mostly gets corrected by itself as permanent teeth come in. Except in few cases, where timely diagnosis and correction can make that dream come true. This is where regular dental visits come into play!     Generalised spacing Localised spacing- Midline diastema   Midline diastema (spacing)- gap between two upper front teeth.   Causes of midline diastema include, High frenal attachment Mesiodens- an extra tooth between two upper teeth Ugly duckling stage (explained later in this post) Retained milk teeth Midline pathology- cyst, tumor Pressure habits   Some causes of generalised spacing can be, Pressure habits- Tongue thrusting, thumb sucking Macroglossia- Tongue size larger than normal Microdontia- Teeth size smaller than the jaw Macrognathia- Jaw size larger than teeth Loss of permanent teeth Unerupted ...
    1 comment
    Read more

    FOODIES....ALERT!

    By The Dentist
                                                                          Many food substances you think that are healthy for your body are not exactly doing good for your teeth. This doesn’t mean you should stop eating them. Especially now that we all stay in our home, we can’t keep our hands off those snack shelves. But you can make few modifications and you are good to go. We would like to provide you with some acuity on how to keep those damages to the minimum. Beware of the ‘crunch’:     The ‘crunch’ of the potato chips is eternally satisfying to many of us. Unfortunately, they are loaded with starch. This becomes feeding ground for ba...
    2 comments
    Read more